Harry M. Miller
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{infobox person
| image =
| caption =
| name = Harry M. Miller
| birth_name = Harry Maurice Millar
| birth_place = Auckland, New Zealand
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|01|06|df=y}}
| death_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|07|04|1934|01|06|df=y}}
| occupation = Promotor, publicist, media agent
| years active = 1957−2011
| known_for = Pan Pacific Productions, Computicket, The Harry M.Miller Group
}}
Harry Maurice Miller (6 January 1934 – 4 July 2018) was a New Zealand Australian promoter, publicist and media agent.
Life and career
Born on 6 January 1934 in New Zealand, Miller grew up in the Auckland suburb of Grey Lynn. He moved to Australia in 1963,{{Cite news|url=https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/361143/harry-m-miller-celebrity-agent-and-theatrical-producer-dies-aged-84|title=Celebrity agent Harry M Miller dies at age 84|date=5 July 2018|work=Radio New Zealand |access-date=5 July 2018|language=en-nz}} where he established a company called Pan Pacific Productions with Keith and Dennis Wong, owners of the noted Sydney nightclub Chequers.
During the 1960s, Pan Pacific promoted many concert and theatrical tours of Australia and New Zealand, including Louis Armstrong, Del Shannon, the Everly Brothers, Arthur Rubinstein,{{Cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-416446056/findingaid|title=Guide to the Papers of Harry M. Miller (MS 7981): Biographical / Historical|website=National Library of Australia|language=en|access-date=5 July 2018}} Herman's Hermits, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys (during the surfing 1964 tour), Judy Garland, Sammy Davis Jr., Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Chubby Checker, Eartha Kitt and Shirley Bassey{{Cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms7981|title=Papers of Harry Maurice Miller|publisher=National Library of Australia}} During the mid-1960s, Pan Pacific was in competition in the pop tour market with rival promoter Aztec Services Ltd in Melbourne headed by promoter Kenn Brodziak, but by the late 1960s Miller and Brodziak had become friends and colleagues{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107897116|title='The Boys' will appeal against conviction|date=10 October 1969|work=The Canberra Times|access-date=5 July 2018|pages=3|via=Trove}} and subsequently collaborated on many concert and theatrical promotions.Richard Jinman, 'He brought us the Beatles for a song' Sydney Morning Herald 4 June 1999 p. 5 During this period Miller also expanded into personal management; his first client was pioneering TV chef Graham Kerr, already a household name in New Zealand, who became a national TV star in Australia before launching a successful international career.
As a talent manager, Miller served as the manager of numerous Australian personalities including Barry Humphries, Graham Kennedy, Maggie Tabberer, Stuart Wagstaff and Carmen Duncan.{{cite web|url=https://milesago.com/industry/miller-harrym.html|title=HARRY M. MILLER}}
In 1969, Miller discovered 16-year-old American singer Marcia Hines in Boston, Massachusetts, while casting African-American performers for the Australian stage version of Hair, which he was producing. Hines flew to Australia, unaware that she was already six months pregnant, and Miller acted as her legal guardian in Australia until she turned 21.[https://web.archive.org/web/20050201001414/http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/profiles/Transcripts/s1220849.htm Marcia Hines]. George Negus Tonight. ABC. 14 October 2004. Archived from [http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/profiles/Transcripts/s1220849.htm the original] on 1 February 2005. Miller went on to produce the Australian productions of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972 and The Rocky Horror Show in 1974,{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/legendary-celebrity-manager-and-promoter-harry-m-miller-dies-aged-84-20180705-p4zpka.html|title=Legendary celebrity manager and promoter Harry M. Miller dies, aged 84|last1=Moran|first1=Rob|date=5 July 2018|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=5 July 2018|language=en}} both of which used many of the production staff from Hair including director Jim Sharman.{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230398224|title=The Rocky Horror Show|last=Hartley|first=Ian|date=1974-05-01|work=Tharunka|access-date=2018-07-05|pages=9}}
In 1970, Miller joined the council of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and was elected chairman of the gallery's society.{{Cite news|last=Meacham|first=Steve|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/23/1053585696572.html|title=Hang the expense|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=24 May 2003}}
Legal issues
In 1978, Miller started a ticketing company called Computicket, which went into receivership within six months.{{Cite news|url=https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/celebrity-agent-harry-m-miller-84-dies-ng-b88886971z|title=Celebrity agent Harry M. Miller dies|last=Tabakoff|first=Jenny|date=4 July 2018|work=The West Australian|access-date=5 July 2018|language=en-GB}} On 30 April 1982,{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/archives/timeline/1980s.htm|title=1980s|date=2002|website=ABC Archives & library services|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=5 July 2018}} Miller was found guilty of aiding and abetting the misappropriation of $728,000 in funds and sentenced to three years in jail.{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126894280|title=Miller jailed, could face new charges|date=8 May 1982|work=The Canberra Times|access-date=5 July 2018|pages=3}} The verdict led to the collapse of the company, and he served ten months in prison at Long Bay and Cessnock Correctional Centres.
Celebrity agent and manager
Miller was the founder and director of the Harry M. Miller Group, based in Moore Park, Sydney.{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}} His agency represented a varied client base of well-known figures in Australia, including all contestants on Big Brother,{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/media-diary/denton-plots-return-to-air-with-seven/news-story/7d4111a926cc2d9b51292ab318b87eb7|title=Miller's big bash|last=Brook|first=Stephen|date=July 2, 2017|website=The Australian|language=en|access-date=2018-07-05}} Lindy Chamberlain,{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/the-alsatian-at-the-gate-harry-m-miller-remembered-20180705-p4zpkb.html|title=The Alsatian at the gate: Harry M Miller remembered|last=Hornery|first=Andrew|date=5 July 2018|website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en|access-date=5 July 2018}} Stuart Diver (the only survivor of the 1997 Thredbo landslide),{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/your-time-starts-now-20100703-zv31.html|title=Your time starts now|last=Elder|first=John|date=3 July 2010|website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en|access-date=5 July 2018}} Judy Moran (wife of slain Melbourne underworld figure Lewis Moran),{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/12/1081621867987.html|title=Judy Moran signs with Harry M Miller|date=12 April 2004|website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=5 July 2018}} and Gai Waterhouse (a horseracing trainer). Miller gave advice and managed communication, negotiations and media attention surrounding individuals or companies that found themselves under intense public spotlight.
Family
Miller had 4 wives and 5 children. He had a relationship with Deborah Hutton, 27 years his junior from the 1980s for 10 years. Anh's Brush with Fame interview with Deborah Hutton
Death
Miller died at age 84 in Sydney, Australia, on 4 July 2018, after a vascular dementia diagnosis in 2011. He died with his long-term partner Simmone Logue, daughters Justine, Brook and Lauren, and their mother Wendy by his side.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.harrymmiller.com/ Harry M. Miller Group website]
- [http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms7981 Papers of Harry Maurice Miller], National Library of Australia.
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Category:Australian white-collar criminals
Category:New Zealand emigrants to Australia